Nelson: Athens business activity includes new stores, demolitions

Posted: Sunday, February 06, 2000

The last couple of weeks we have been inundated with items for our Business Briefs section, and space limitations have inhibited publishing them all. Consequently, it seemed prudent to take a batch of those business news snippets and place them in my column this week and help clear up the Business Brief files.

Shoe Carnival returns to Perimeter Square

Evansville, Ind.-based Shoe Carnival is surfacing again in the Athens market, in the same location it vacated a couple of years ago. Mike Staub, who will serve as general manager of the new Athens Shoe Carnival, said this version of the footwear retail store at Perimeter Square will be a discount branch carrying brand name shoes. ''All our shoes will have clearance prices,'' he said.

Don

Nelson

Staub said the store is the midst of hiring employees and had not decided on the number of people to be employed. The store should open by the middle of this month and will operate 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (706) 546-8839.

Regions Bank plans branch in Athens

Birmingham, Ala.-based Regions Bank has plans to open an Athens branch on Atlanta Highway. According to The Hunt Letter, Regions Bank will build offices on the property adjacent to Damon's Ribs.

Old Macon Highway motel bites the dust

The owner of Showtime Bowl on Macon Highway in Athens has bought the adjacent property where an old motel used to operate, and is demolishing the motel buildings. Ben Frizell from the Knoxville, Tenn., area has taken the old structure down to ''eliminate a tax liability,'' according to a representative with his construction company in Tennessee. For now, Frizell has no set plans for the property but is considering several options.

East side grocery store completes remodeling

The Bi-Lo grocery store at the corner of Lexington Highway and Cherokee Road has recently completed a remodeling project that features a red-and-black decor, a new bank and a shop for University of Georgia merchandise.

The remodeling effort on the 43,000-square-foot supermarket allowed expansion of the pharmacy, deli/bakery, seafood and floral departments and the addition of a customer service center, a cafe and the in-store bank.

Called Bulldog Bank & Trust, the banking center is operated by Community Bank, which has its main office in Commerce. The Bulldog Bank opened on Jan. 24 and keeps hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The phone number is (706) 227-2400. The branch employs six people -- five full-time and one part-time.

InterMedia cable system is now Charter

As of Feb. 2, Charter Communications is the official name of the company which operates the cable franchise serving Clarke County, Oconee County and parts of Madison County.

The franchise was actually transferred from InterMedia to Charter last July and Charter purchased InterMedia in October, but the name change did not occur until this past week, according to Billy Porter, general manager of the cable system.

''Our customers can expect to see Charter Communications as opposed to InterMedia,'' Porter said. ''We'll answer the phones as Charter.''

Porter said that the purchase took the local system from being part of the 9th- or 10th-largest cable company to being part of the 4th-largest system.

Also, Porter said as of Feb. 1, the local cable system includes Turner South (programming focusing on the South) and Charter Sports, which might air athletic events not normally picked up by larger networks.

The company is looking at adding other channels as well. Currently Charter carries 78-90 analog channels and 225 digital channels (including music channels, premium and pay-per-view choices) in the Athens market, but Porter said the capacity is almost limitless with digital equipment. Basic digital service, which offers 35 channels, costs $15.95 per month for the converter box and the service.

Athens businessman starts regular auction

A lifetime collection of antiques, Coca-Cola memorabilia and other collectibles will be on the block for auction in a special new venture Sam Williamson is embarking on Feb. 19.

Williamson, an auctioneer and owner of Clarke County Lock & Key, is a collector himself, and he has been storing his toys and other antiques in a building next to his store in anticipation of starting a regular auction in Athens.

The Feb. 19 auction represents the first of what Williamson hopes will eventually develop into a twice-a-month event in the small building at 1961 W. Broad St. next to his lock and key business. The collection he will be putting up for bid belongs to a man who has been collecting for more than 50 years. Among the items to be auctioned are a 1950 Coca-Cola Cavalier Model 51 10C bottle machine, coo-coo clocks, a penny bank collection, cookie jars, toys and an old pedal car.

Athens Material Handling under new ownership

The general manager of Athens Material Handling has purchased the industrial lift machine dealership located on Commerce Boulevard.

Hollis Griggs, a long-time employee of Athens Material Handling, bought the business from Dennis Graves on Jan. 12. Griggs has assumed the role of president of the company.

Graves will remain with the company over the coming year and serve as a consultant to Griggs. Graves said he is happy to see the company undergo a ''good and logical evolution'' on a ''solid foundation,'' but that he was somewhat saddened that his participation ''will dwindle over the next year'' as he concludes his work with the company.

Masada celebrates quarter of a century

The past week marked the 25th anniversary of Masada Leather in downtown Athens.

Irvin Alhadeff started the custom leather retailing business on Feb. 3, 1975,in a 500-square-foot space on College Avenue near where Wolf Camera is now.

In 1979, Alhadeff moved his shop to E. Clayton Street, across from where he is currently located, and in 1987 he bought the building that his business occupies now, and the store takes up 3,500 square feet.

Masada still custom-makes leather goods like sandals, belts and wallets and sells leather products, something Alhadeff said makes his shop one of a handful in America still pursuing that trade. Alhadeff said the biggest change has been in styles of hats and clothing he sells. During the 1970s and 1980s, the cowboy look dominated the leather goods, but now, he said, hiking and outdoor recreation has dictated the styles and material (fleece and Gortex) of which articles are made.

Another change has been in clientele, Alhadeff said. ''We get more people now from out of town,'' he said. ''Tourism and travel have created a market and it's not just students anymore.''

Chiropractic clinic opens on W. Broad St.

A new chiropractic office, Advanced Chiropractic Clinic P.C., located in the Athens Business Center at 2440 W. Broad St., Suite 3, is now open for business and accepting new patients. The business is owned and operated by doctors Todd Hardison and Christopher Perkins.

Both Perkins and Hardison graduated from Life University in 1998 and both worked in other chiropractic offices for a year before starting their own practice this year.

Office hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The phone number is (706) 227-3900.